Aberdeen Roncalli placed three girls among the top 10 golfers on the way to a second place finish at its own invitational on Thursday at Lee Park Golf Course.

Dell Rapids won the event with a team total of 358. The Cavaliers, who had more girls in the top 10 than any other team in the field, finished with 372 points.

Roncalli’s Claire Crawford was second with an 85, while Grace Seyer was fifth with an 89, and Ava Danielson was 10th with a 95.

Morgan Helms shot a 103 and Reese Henrich had a 117.

“It was kind of nice to have a home meet, have nice weather and then at the same time, have the girls play well,” said Roncalli coach Jon Murdy. “There’s still little things to clean up, between all five of them, but for the most part they’re improving dramatically in the last couple of weeks, so hopefully we can just keep improving.”

Crawford improved throughout her round to finish with her total, five strokes behind medalist Abby Greenhoff of Dell Rapids.

“The front didn’t go too well with the driver,” Crawford said, “so just had to put it away and hit a club that I knew I could keep in the fairway and still score good with.”

The strategy worked as Crawford shot five strokes better on the back nine. She said the key is not to get too frustrated with a bad hole or two.

“You have one bad hole you just have to forget about it. It doesn’t affect your next hole,” Crawford said. “Sometimes it seems worse than it actually is, but you get done with your hole and it wasn’t that bad after all.”

Groton’s Carly Guthmiller finished fourth with a score of 88. Like Crawford, Guthmiller also got off to a slower start.

“I definitely started out struggling and I definitely struggled with putting and chipping,” Guthmiller said, “but everything else seemed to go fine for me.”

The junior was pleased with her total considering the fact that the Tigers hadn’t had a meet prior to Thursday.

“Our course is under water and we just haven’t traveled anywhere,” Guthmiller said.

The golfers will be back at Lee Park for the Region 1A tournament coming up on May 25.

Course familiarity should help all of them as they attempt to qualify for this year’s state tournament.

“I do my best and then when region comes around, that’s when I really focus,” Guthmiller said. “Nothing really matters until regions anyways.”

While the Cavaliers will be happy to stay at home for the region meet, it also comes with its own set of challenges.

“There is a little bit (of a home-course advantage),” Murdy said, “but then also at the same time, there’s probably more people watching so there’s a little bit of a backfire on that one, but it will be good.”

Even though Crawford got a look at some of the main competition Thursday that she will be facing in the region, she tries to focus on her own game rather than think about opposing golfers.

“Just go out and play your game,” Crawford said. “Golf is unlike any other sport. You can’t play defense on the other team. You just stay locked into your game and just play your best.”

Team Points: Dell Rapids 358, Aberdeen Roncalli 372, Groton 388, Mobridge-Pollock 402, Milbank Area 410.

Individual Results

1, Abby Greenhoff, Dell Rapids, 80; 2, Claire Crawford, Aberdeen Roncalli, 85; 3, Emma Taubert, Dell Rapids, 86; 4, Carly Guthmiller, Groton, 88; 5, Grace Seyer, Aberdeen Roncalli, 89; 6, Claire Heil, Mobridge-Pollock, 92; 7, Camilia Monroy, Milbank Area, 94; 8, Elliot Hortness, Sisseton, 94; 9, Shaylee Schuchard, Milbank Area, 95; 10, Ava Danielson, Aberdeen Roncalli, 95;

11, Natalie Berg, Dell Rapids, 95; 12, Mia Crank, Groton, 96; 13, Addisyn Evans, Redfield, 96; 14, Haley Rydell, Dell Rapids, 97; 15, Arianna Mound, Mobridge-Pollock, 98; 16, Marie Weller, Redfield, 98; 17, Shaylee Peterson, Groton, 99; 18, Brooke Schlomer, Mobridge-Pollock, 99; 19, Jaclyn Wiik, Mibank Area, 101; 20, Morgan Helms, Aberdeen Roncalli, 103;

21, Carlee Johnson, Groton, 105; 22, Carly Gilbert, Groton, 108; 23, Ashlynn LaFromboise, Sisseton, 110; 24, Gretchen Olson, Mobridge-Pollock, 113; 25, Becca Cox, Mobridge-Pollock, 116; 26, Reese Henrich, Aberdeen Roncalli, 117; 27, Mia VanLith, Milbank Area, 120; 28, Skighe McCann, Mobridge-Pollock, 131; 29, KaiNaysa Hull, Sisseton, 139; 30, Sophia Homrighausen, Milbank Area, 143; 31, Linnea Silk, Sisseton, 171.